ABSTRACT SUMMARY The goal of the 30th Annual Vascular Biology and Hypertension (VB&H) Symposium to be held at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) on Thursday, May 2 ? Saturday, May 4, 2019 is to disseminate knowledge used to reduce morbidity and mortality resulting from hypertension (HTN) and related diseases and to improve the quality of life for patients. HTN is the most prevalent modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the United States (US), and is a particularly serious problem in the Southeast US, including Alabama, where it is highly prevalent (1,2). To prevent and control HTN in the Southeast US, implementation of strategies to detect and manage HTN and related comorbidities are critical. The 2019 VB&H Symposium is highly responsive to evolving healthcare needs and the necessity for innovative approaches to train basic, translational, clinical and population scientists and healthcare providers and will provide up-to-date information to improve HTN detection and manage and prevent CVD throughout the Southeastern US. The 2019 VB&H Symposium will also create a scientific environment capable of promoting the 2016 NHLBI Strategic Vision Mission (3) by reporting on: 1) newly discovered pathobiological mechanisms of HTN and related CVD, 2) factors that account for differences in health among populations, 3) novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to prevent, treat and possibly cure HTN and related CVD, and 4) clinical and implementation research to improve health and reduce disease. The 2019 VB&H Symposium will enhance participation from physicians, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare providers from rural areas surrounding Birmingham, Alabama (the Black Belt) that serve predominantly underrepresented minority patients with low socioeconomic status. Day 1 (Thursday, May 2, 2019) is the inaugural Interactive Workshop on Hypertension that provides a foundation on HTN pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment. Day 2 (Friday, May 3, 2019) includes formal presentations on the molecular mechanisms of HTN and novel diagnostic procedures and treatments for HTN. Day 2 also includes the Data Blitz Sessions and VB&H Annual Poster Session. Day 3 (Saturday, May 4, 2019) includes sessions on BP measurement and the latest findings of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). The format of the 2019 VB&H Symposium will facilitate interaction between trainees, healthcare providers (from rural primary care practices in Alabama), and basic, clinical and population scientists. It will feature 17 speakers (11 external, 6 internal), as well as participation from these speakers and engaged UAB faculty in the Interactive Workshop on Hypertension. The 2019 VB&H Symposium is highly significant because it will introduce cutting edge multidisciplinary science on HTN and CVD to a diverse audience of healthcare providers, scientists and trainees from the Southeast. This shared knowledge will be readily translatable to improving HTN detection and management and in preventing CVD in this underserved region of the US.